ASSIGNMENT HELP | Is there anything wrong with these activities?

A customer service representative at an electronics store is surfing the Internet using one of the store’s display computers. She accesses a web site that shows graphic images of crime scenes. Meanwhile a customer passes by noticing the images and becomes offended. Another customer service representative is behind the counter, using the store’s computer to access the company customer database. A female customer asks him why he is laughing. He turns the computer screen around to show her the record of another customer owing more than $10,000. Is there anything wrong with these activities?

| PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com |

MODEL ANSWER

Both scenarios are unethical. The employee in the first scenario where he surfs the internet to access graphic images on one of the display computers | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | represents misuse behavior on the part of the employee, a phenomenon referred to as cyber-slacking or | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | cost to the business in terms of lost productivity and internet costs. Secondly, the behavior has the potential to cause adverse effects on the reputation of the | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | who passes by and sees the graphic images and becomes offended may develop a negative perception about the business and may influence other customers, thus costing the business.

The second scenario where an employee accesses and displays confidential customer credit information to another customer is also unethical and a breach of customer | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | whose information is being shown to a third party has a right to privacy and should he/she discover that their information was accessed by unauthorized persons, they may sue the company for breaching their privacy.

Peer 1:

I agree that the management of the store in the first case is complacent in instilling a good organizational culture in its | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | of company resources for personal gain and at the detriment of the company in terms of cost and productivity loss should not be entertained. Employees should be made to understand how their actions impact the business in the long run.

I also concur that it could be the customer service representative in the second case was looking at customer credit data for good reasons. However, it was immoral for him to show private customer information to another customer. It represents a breach of privacy.

Peer 2:

It is true that the behavior displayed by employees significantly reveals | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | organization that does not enforce its rules and regulations to cultivate a positive culture in its employees will likely witness such incidents as in the case | PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW AT writtask.com | should be trained on how to use company resources and how to spend their spare time. They should also be educated on how to handle sensitive customer information. The lack of training in these aspects results in undesirable behavior.

Reference

Appelbaum, S. H., Deguire, K. J., & Lay, M. (2005). The relationship of ethical climate to deviant workplace behavior. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society.